Kristina (of Keepsakes) Starting to Homeschool

[LilMissMetaphor]

Early literacy and numeracy are extremely important indicators and predictors of future academic success, actually. On a case-by-case basis, sure, you can find kids who go into school knowing nothing and come out on the other side successfully. That doesn't make it the ideal situation.

If a parent/caregiver doesn't have the time or interest to read with their kids and practice normal math skills (and I'm not talking about sitting at a table with a pencil and book--it can be outside counting the dandelions or making guesses about how many bricks are along one piece of wall), then just admit it. Don't try to claim it doesn't matter.

[lawlifelgbt]

I also agree that Kloe (sorry Christina, I'm laughing at how you spell her name because it's one letter away from the German word for "bathroom"- I'm secretly five, I know :roll: ), does sound kind of behind.

Then again, I'm no yardstick- my brother and I were bilingual since birth, and I was reading at college level by the time I was eight, so I'm a little lost as to what's "normal" development. On the other hand, I taught myself to read- my parents did read to me, but not explicitly try to teach me to read. But I do think it's very important that you at least read to all your kids. And I picked it up at three!

Another important thing is to talk to your kids a ton, and use complex sentence structure and conversational flow, so that they learn how to follow more than just simple directions, pick up on basic reasoning, etc. And this doesn't apply for Kloe any more, but when a kid is under 3, their brain is still undergoing massive physical changes and forming new neurons. The formation stops in preschool or so. But think about it! You could physically make your child's brain grow by engaging with them more and making sure to read! Isn't that cool?

Finally, I'm curious about what you would do if you had a child that required more than you could teach, not just in terms of overall ability, but in terms of other needs (like, let's say he or she had a learning disability, or, like I was, is profoundly gifted- which can be as big of a hassle as teaching someone with a disability!) I do hope you would help him or her get specialized services.

[DaffyDill]

Just thinking out loud here, but I wonder why so many Christians flock to defend the Duggars.

.../snipped

Perhaps Christians have to support Josh and by extension the Duggars and say they have repented and therefore God has forgiven, because if they don't believe God has forgiven Josh, then it stands to reason God also may not have forgiven them (the Christians) for whatever sins they have repented in their pasts, either. And if that were the case, well it's all too awful for their tiny minds to comprehend. They may well go to hell, they may not be as special and good as they thought.

They're not only defending Josh and the Duggars, they're defending their own belief system and way of life.

(I hope this makes sense, it does in my head, but that can be a strange place sometimes :lol: )

[polabear]

I dont think kloe is behind either. My nephew just finished kindergarten and is reading a little, but not much. He's in an upper middle-class very good school district. His teachers are not particularly concerned. He's getting extra tutoring this summer because he expressed sadness at not reading as well as some of the other kids.

He went to preschool, loves books, and is read to every day. His teachers say he's perfectly average for his age. What he does excel in is emotion control and problem solving, which is more important at this point, according to his teachers.

[DGayle]

Childless, I admire your desire to work hard to ensure your children have a better start in life than you did. More power to you.

But I admit the sound of all that 4 am overtime work to pay for a third year of pre-school so that your child can thrive academically in kindergarden just sounds appalling to me.

The pressure on you and your child must be intense. I hope you have built in some time for you and your child to recharge and smell a few roses along the way. There are many years of education still to come!

I agree. Is that little boy going to be allowed to have a childhood outside of academics? Starting a child at the age of just 2 on an academic course THAT young doesn't necessarily have benefits. My daughters are far ahead of how you describe your son, and that isn't because of years or private pre-schooling. It's because I spend time with them making education into games that they enjoy. They understand the concept of the 10s place and 100s place, and can literally count into the hundreds. They know what a dodecahedron is and how it's different from a dodecagon, just by me making their education at home into games. They aren't burning out on learning because they don't even realize that's what they're doing. Pushing kids so young into academics, reducing them to something to force through a funnel, strips them of more that life has to offer, and it's a fantastic way to burn them out. So we really want a society like Japan, where kids get literally hooked up to IVs so they can study longer, where teen suicide is common because kids can't stand the pressure?

Your son sounds like he's the same age as my girls. He's spent 60% of his life in formal school, hasn't started kindergarten yet, and he's going to know Mom put in so much OT, and so he'd damned well better perform at the top of everything. Oh, the anxiety he'll get over a C on a test.

Yes, education is important, but please rethink taking it to the extreme. There are plenty of good jobs that don't require starting BABIES in formal schooling and robbing them of getting to be children. When all the good tech jobs are overseas, someone will still need to do the perfectly respectable manual jobs in the US, and we need to stop looking down on the trades that can't be offshored.

[fundiefan]

Perhaps Christians have to support Josh and by extension the Duggars and say they have repented and therefore God has forgiven, because if they don't believe God has forgiven Josh, then it stands to reason God also may not have forgiven them (the Christians) for whatever sins they have repented in their pasts, either. And if that were the case, well it's all too awful for their tiny minds to comprehend. They may well go to hell, they may not be as special and good as they thought.

They're not only defending Josh and the Duggars, they're defending their own belief system and way of life.

(I hope this makes sense, it does in my head, but that can be a strange place sometimes :lol: )

I think that makes total sense. In fact, I think it's probably completely accurate. If God didn't forgive Josh and lead the family on the path they ended up on, then he didn't lead the rest of the fundie Christians on their own path. And then, their entire system falls to shreds. Supporting Josh & his parents means supporting the foundation of your very existence.

[Walking Cat Bed]

One thing I learned in school that's helpful to me on a daily basis: I can focus on a task when I am not the only person in the room.

That doesn't sound like much, until you think ten to twenty years ahead: your kids will be getting jobs, right? It's much rarer to have a job in which you are in a room alone and someone checks on you. Daily school with a variety of classmates teaches you when to tune out background noise, how to get work done with some level of distraction, and how to move from one task to another without disrupting the entire room.

Here's a scenario: you have a list of five things to do in one day (all of which you're capable of). If you're in a private office and won't be disturbed, that's a pretty straightforward to-do list. Now imagine that you've gone from at least two years of working in a private office to a noisy cubicle farm, where other people are working, taking and making phone calls, interrupting you, and there's a loudspeaker system for general announcements.

Switching from homeschooling to a classroom is kind of like that. A seven-year-old could have some trouble adjusting from school at home with a small "class" to a 20-kid classroom, in which there is always something going on. Socializing isn't just about learning how to make friends.

However, a possible middle ground between exclusively homeschooling and all day at school: is there half-day kindergarten (or Head Start) in your area? It could be easier for everyone (Kristina and kids) to start there.

[Georgiana]

I don't have issues with Kristina's plan, except that I think it is unrealistic.

I think it is going to be much harder for her to get her kids into a private school than she anticipates, and I'm not sure they fully realize the cost of private education. I honestly see going public to be their only option, and she's so against public schools, that I'm worried she'll keep homeschooling them if that becomes the case.

[dpndetfarm]

One thing I learned in school that's helpful to me on a daily basis: I can focus on a task when I am not the only person in the room.

That doesn't sound like much, until you think ten to twenty years ahead: your kids will be getting jobs, right? It's much rarer to have a job in which you are in a room alone and someone checks on you. Daily school with a variety of classmates teaches you when to tune out background noise, how to get work done with some level of distraction, and how to move from one task to another without disrupting the entire room. I have to say no it doesn't. If you are a kid who can do this naturally school will be a breeze. If you are not you MAY learn to cope or you may learn to fake it, but school will not be a breeze.

Switching from homeschooling to a classroom is kind of like that. A seven-year-old could have some trouble adjusting from school at home with a small "class" to a 20-kid classroom, in which there is always something going on. Socializing isn't just about learning how to make friends. And kids move more often than not at least once or twice during their primary school years. Home school to public school will be no different.

OK, going to weigh in here. Quoting WCB, but this post is not aimed directly at the mobile feline chaise lounge.

We can all tell our individual learning stories and of course we, as humans, tend to see what should be done in general through how we did something or experienced something ourselves. However, just because whatever was done for you specifically worked or didn't work, does not mean that it is the right way or the only way something needs to happen in order for success.

In general the earlier a child begins to learn the better. BUT, there is a HUGE difference between learning a la Maria Montessori or Friedrich Froebel and sitting your two year old down with flashcards. If Kristina is using real words to describe what her children are doing or seeing while they play and she is allowing them a wide variety of experiences during their days her kids are learning.

If Kristina is spelling words with them and allowing the children to draw and label their drawings and she is counting out crayons and cheerios and the items around them her kids are learning. It sounds like Kloe has her numbers down verbally, but maybe not written (trying to remember which way Kristina said it). Writing is a fine motor activity. It is mastered later than gross motor skills. Some children are superior verbally and they suck writtenly (yes I made that up, but I like it).

If a parent does NOTHING else with their child before that child enters "school" that parent should read books to their child EVERY day. At every opportunity.

Studies show that whether your child learns to read in preschool or 2nd grade or...the majority of children read by fourth grade and are at the same level soon after.

http://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago006408.html

http://www.researchgate.net/publication/229433053_Children_learning_to_read_later_catch_up_to_children_reading_earlier

Here is an article which articulates much better than I ever could why all this rush to formally educate our children is misguided. I received my Masters in Education at Antioch University back in 1991 and Elkind's books were a staple in my library.

http://educationnext.org/much-too-early/

Unless Kristina ignores her children or is completely telling us a load of crap about how she is going to approach home schooling her kids and as long as she is diligent about sending her kids off to school AS SOON as she starts to feel she will be in over her head in a month or two they will all be OK.

But Kristina, please be brutally honest with yourself each day and each week that you home school your kids. Send your kids to public/private school before you can't teach them, not when you can't teach them or after you can't teach them. Better they go off to a brick and mortar school a little early with amazing memories of what mommy taught them than a little late when they may very well need remedial help. The memories then won't be quite so happy.

Sorry for the book.

I think the links are OK unbroken. No blogs or anything.

I suppose I should end with Just my opinion.

[Childless]

I agree. Is that little boy going to be allowed to have a childhood outside of academics? Starting a child at the age of just 2 on an academic course THAT young doesn't necessarily have benefits. My daughters are far ahead of how you describe your son, and that isn't because of years or private pre-schooling. It's because I spend time with them making education into games that they enjoy. They understand the concept of the 10s place and 100s place, and can literally count into the hundreds. They know what a dodecahedron is and how it's different from a dodecagon, just by me making their education at home into games. They aren't burning out on learning because they don't even realize that's what they're doing. Pushing kids so young into academics, reducing them to something to force through a funnel, strips them of more that life has to offer, and it's a fantastic way to burn them out. So we really want a society like Japan, where kids get literally hooked up to IVs so they can study longer, where teen suicide is common because kids can't stand the pressure?

Your son sounds like he's the same age as my girls. He's spent 60% of his life in formal school, hasn't started kindergarten yet, and he's going to know Mom put in so much OT, and so he'd damned well better perform at the top of everything. Oh, the anxiety he'll get over a C on a test.

Yes, education is important, but please rethink taking it to the extreme. There are plenty of good jobs that don't require starting BABIES in formal schooling and robbing them of getting to be children. When all the good tech jobs are overseas, someone will still need to do the perfectly respectable manual jobs in the US, and we need to stop looking down on the trades that can't be offshored.

Oh, for the love of god. If you'd bothered to read my response to Tiny Bubbles, you'd know he goes to preschool 3 mornings a week for 3 hours each morning. That's hardly pushing him. And he's 4 years old, most of his learning involves games and activities, not sitting at a desk studying. Its preschool for god sake. He loves going. He likes his teachers. He likes interacting with the other kids. I'd be a bad parent if I kept him from doing something he enjoys. Its good that your kids are so advanced academically. You've obviously put in a lot of time and hard work to get them to this point. I'd wager probably just as much work as I've put in doing OT. Are your children going to feel pressured to do well in school based on your hard work? Why would my children feel any differently than your children?

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

Seriously DGayle critisising Childless for prioritising her child's education because it is not exactly what you do...why bother?

We are all (including Kristina!) doing the best we can for our children with the resources and values we have.

[treemom]

See I don't think Kristina is doing the best she can.

[Georgiana]

See I don't think Kristina is doing the best she can.

I think Kristina is doing what is best for her, but I think education should be about what is best for the child(ren). Which I think this is not.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

See I don't think Kristina is doing the best she can.

I think she is. I don't think it's enough but I am sure she thinks it's the best for Cloe.

[treemom]

I think she is. I don't think it's enough but I am sure she thinks it's the best for Cloe.

Oh I am sure she thinks she is doing the best. But I think she is wrong. She can do better. It's called public school.

She is far more worried about sheltering her kids and OMG sin than the actual education

[elizasc]

She may be doing HER best... which is likely not in the best interest(s) of her children

[Burris]

I think she is. I don't think it's enough but I am sure she thinks it's the best for Cloe.

It's likely hard on Kristina to come here and find her parenting choices being questioned.

Kristina knows her own education was lacking, however, and now she will spread that lack to her child (and eventually to her children) in hope she can do a thorough enough job of teaching even while struggling to remain one step ahead. (Her attempt to protect her daughter from the potential evils of daily life could end up doing more harm over the long-term than would a willingness to spend part of each night with Cloe to go over what the child learned and to correct what Kristina sees as misinformation of bias.)

All kinds of religious people deal on a daily basis with "the world" - at work, at school, at market. There's no way around it.

[formergothardite]

I can see why Kristina is terrified of sending her children to public school and is willing to risk giving them a bad education rather than send them there. I was raised thinking public school was this horrible, awful place filled with sadness and wickedness. I did realize that I wouldn't be able to teach my kids, even in the younger grades, and I was scared at first of sending my daughter to public school. But then I sent her and saw that all the stuff I had been told was a lie. Public school really isn't this scary place where they try and turn children in to communist, socialist atheists.

I also think people underestimate how hard it can be to teach the younger grades.

[PrairieGirl]

I can see why Kristina is terrified of sending her children to public school and is willing to risk giving them a bad education rather than send them there. I was raised thinking public school was this horrible, awful place filled with sadness and wickedness. I did realize that I wouldn't be able to teach my kids, even in the younger grades, and I was scared at first of sending my daughter to public school. But then I sent her and saw that all the stuff I had been told was a lie. Public school really isn't this scary place where they try and turn children in to communist, socialist atheists.

I also think people underestimate how hard it can be to teach the younger grades.

I had a similar upbringing. I was raised to think that public schools were horrible places with graffiti everywhere, drugs, sex and violence around every terrifying corner. Basically the worst place a child could imagine. Lo and behold, my children's public school is a wonderful place full of caring teachers and staff, inspiration decorating the walls, a wonderful extracurricular program, and nice kids from families who want their kids to learn and make a good life for themselves and others.

Sure there are public schools that have problems. But if Kristina does some research and visits and uses her own mind to think, I'll bet that Kloe would thrive in school and her parents would not regret that decision.

[fundiefan]

Update on Ronnie. It appears he and Jessica got remarried yesterday.

Their god is sounding the trumpets, I guess, but Jesus weeps.

[ViolaSebastian]

Update on Ronnie. It appears he and Jessica got remarried yesterday.

Their god is sounding the trumpets, I guess, but Jesus weeps.

I set the countdown clock to the inevitable pregnancy announcement. Just what this situation needs...

[lawfulevil]

Shall we start the Amazon gift card pool for the inevitable Divorce 2: Divorce Harder?

[ViolaSebastian]

Shall we start the Amazon gift card pool for the inevitable Divorce 2: Divorce Harder?

Divorce 2: Electric Boogalou.

[DaffyDill]

Divorce 2: Electric Boogalou.

I got nothing except

[elizasc]

So so wrong...